A New Dawn
by Lantus
Summary: “Urgent the clock marches, ever forward without consent. Meanwhile the future is left waiting, singing the blues. Sometimes, however, the past catches up, taking the long way 'round..."
1. A Step Into the Past

**A New Dawn**

Chapter 1: A Step Into the Past

"A peace bought by terror, and terror brought by peace. Things had changed much less then I first thought…"

In a torn and battered laboratory, two armored men fight a desperate battle. It raged in a shadowed room, its sounds echoing all over the quiet building. Dust swirled as sharp bursts of light punch through it, each shot a closer call then the last. A blast of energy rings out, barely stopped by an upheld shield. A deadly charged shot sails wide, slamming into an already weakened pillar. The brutal exchange, while only the work of mere minutes, seems to go on for an eternity.

Suddenly, however, the winds of battle change, and fate smiles upon her chosen. One man goes down, his wounded leg finally giving out on him. His opponent, sensing the end of the fight, draws a glowing blade of light from his side. Raising it high, he goes to end it all with a single final strike. A shield shoots out at the last moment, diverting the killing blow from its master.

The wild strike flew wide, directly into a nearby column. Stressed to the limit, the concrete slowly collapsed with a groan of pain. The sword wielder dived away; he did not intend to die here. With a quick jab to his belt he had teleported away, reappearing on a torn hill just outside.

Watching the tortured building collapse on itself, he returned his glowing blade. He chuckled to himself a little, which quickly turned into a full hearty laugh. He laughed at a job well done. He laughed at the trials he had to face to get him here. He laughed as he remembered the sight of his opponent attempt to bring his shield up in a pitiful attempt to protect himself from untold tons of concrete. He laughed at revenge, finally served.

The man slumped to his knees, feeling his power running low. The battle had taken a lot out of him, but it was all worth it in the end. His thoughts turned to his plans once he had been repaired; there was a lot to do now that the fighting was over. His injuries caught up to him, and he slumped into safe mode, shutting down.

In the background, the shaking had slowed to a stop, and things had almost gone peaceful again. As the moonlight shined down on the torn remains of a black armored robot, the world would know peace for a time to come…

The world had come a long way since days of old. Peace and prosperity had come to the world and many a technological achievements had advanced human kinds way of life. Not the least of which were the Reploids; a race of robots, designed to be partners with humans on their journey through life. Originally a race of servants, a series of spectacular battles had taken place in which certain Reploids had declared their independence, and showed the world that these machines were anything but unthinking automatons.

Called Mavericks by humans, or Irregulars by their robotic brethren, the defiant Reploids challenged the established order. A Reploid stopped them, however, by the name of X; he knew the way of peace could not be through hate and war. Assisted by his friend Zero, the two of them fought countless battles, quelling the Maverick Revolt by defeating its villainous leader.

Now the world is in a quiet peace. Following the lead of their two heroes, various groups came together to form a force collectively called the Maverick Hunters. In this project of both humans and Reploids, they could watch the world and stop any Maverick outbreaks before they could gain momentum.

It is in this world that an excavation site sits, nestled on the edge of a warm desert. Miles away from any cities, it was once the site of a great laboratory. It was destroyed, however, and later buried by the sands of the years. Found later by a traveler, it was turned into a site when artifacts of the past were found. Under the eye of the great Dr. Cain, famed creator of the Reploids, the site is one of many strewn about the world. In one of them Dr. Cain hopes to find a way to end the curse of the Mavericks once and for all…

Chipping away at the hardened concrete underneath him, the excavator Reploid chatted away with the man next to him. The Irregulars had been quiet of late, which he thought meant that they were up to no good. The man shushed him however; the last he had heard, the Maverick Hunters themselves had just put out an announcement along those lines. They had said that except for isolated incidents, there was no need to worry.

As the two argued their traditional sides in their traditional argument, a low clang suddenly rang out. The Reploid looked down to see that his pick had actually stumbled onto something. His friend crouched down to brush dirt off the object, telling his partner in no uncertain terms what would happen to him if he had damaged the find.

It was a grey piece of metal. Rolling his eyes, the man sat back on his heels as he realized they probably had found a piece of a floor or something. He looked up to the squat Reploid next to him, telling him to move on a few paces. Kicking at the dirt, he glared at the metal shard. As his foot ran over the smooth surface, it hit upon a bump on it, clearly showing a red-lined opening on the grey metal.

Eyes wide, he started pushing dirt around with a new zeal. Finding what looked to be an eye-slit, the Reploid crouched down to help. Between the two of them, they dug out a long, oval shaped object. Pale grey in color, it was lined with red along its outer edge. With its small red slot in the middle, it was quite clear that the object was some sort of shield.

The Reploid turned to his human companion and pointed, telling him to go get the supervisor. The man nodded then popped up, rushing over to the main tent. While he was gone, the robot kept working, digging away at the nearby area. By the time his friend came back with the others, he had dug out a small trench around the shield. With everyone's help, the group managed to pry the object from the ground.

Underneath was a man. Or to be more precise, it was a Reploid. He wore a heavily cracked red and white helmet with burn marks on his cheek. His body was torn and burned, and his right arm bore the remains of some sort of mounted cannon; sticking out from under the protective shield was his utterly crushed legs. From his condition it was obvious that he was in a heated battle, most likely what brought the entire place down.

With care, the group's technician and doctor started directing people to pull him from the ground. They slowly carried him back to the tent while the excavation director talked to the Reploid who had found him. Their animated conversation held everyone's attention as they debated where he had come from.

Back at the site where they found him, the first man sat, staring into the hole. Noticing an odd color in the dirt, he reached down and pulled out a tattered yellow scarf. Looking back at the Reploid who had just come out of the hole, he followed, sure that he would want it back if he was ever revived…

* * *

Not much now, but expect more in a little bit. Questions, Comments, Concerns? 


	2. Revival

**A New Dawn**

**Chapter 2: Revival**

"Opening my eyes once more, I was startled to find myself alive. Perhaps my story is not over yet..."

**00010010001111010.1101110.110100011010.11110101011101….**

**Access: System Diagnostic**

**Status: Auto Repair System… Activated. 87**

**Power Grid… Activated. 92**

**Sensory… 83**

** Ambulatory… 68 92**

** Access: Ambulatory…**

** Status: New Leg Systems Installed. **

** Unknown Origin. 100?**

** Defense… 49  
**

** Access: Defense**

** Status: Buster Disabled… 02**

** Communicative… 37 **

** Access: Communicative**

** Status: Memory Damage… 36**

** Supplemental… 69**

**Access: Start Up Procedures**

** Status: Sensory… Complete**

** Ambulatory… Complete**

** Defense… Complete**

** Communicative… Complete**

** Supplemental… Complete**

**DL#00 'Protoman'… Activate…**

Opening my eyes, I abruptly squinted as light shot into them. Testing my left arm, I tried to bring it up to cover my face. Slowly, gingerly, it responded, covering the painful light.

_That hurts…?_

Slowly turning my head, my eyes adjusted to the bright light as I looked around the room I was in. It looked like a tent. There were machines spread about wherever they fit, crowding for space. There was a dusty floor, and the rumble of machines droned in from outside. I was lying on a hard table…

_I feel so weak…_

Testing to make sure I was not strapped down, I moved around a little. Noting that everything seemed to work correctly I slowly sat up, groaning slightly as my joints activated. Pushing my jet black hair out of my eyes, I looked myself over. My armored bodysuit had been removed, and it appeared that I had required some hard repairs. Following a tube off my arm, I noticed I was hooked up to a energy feeder. I sighed as I felt power slowly filling my systems, my Self Repair System doing it's work. It felt good to have power. Narrowing my eyes, my gaze drifted to my legs. Hunching over, I noticed that they were NOT the same legs that I remembered. Not that I remembered much…

_Where am I, anyway…?_

Running my fingers over my new legs I noted that they were sleeker, slimmer, then before. They seemed a lot tougher also. Carefully, I flexed the leg, noting with surprise that they reacted much quicker then before. Noting a small hole in the back of the leg, I marveled as I felt for more. There were a lot more Dash ports then I remembered. Pausing as the memory of a black armored man came into mind, I shook my head to rid it from the infuriatingly familiar memory.

_Thanks, whoever you are. At least you got the right colors…_

Easing myself sideways, I hopped off the table, careful to keep connected to the energy feeder. Walking around the room, I found my helmet on a desk, next to some sort of energy pistol. It was heavily

cracked; the glass readouts were shattered, and the shell of the helmet be to been nearly cracked in two. Shaking my head I moved around to the other side of the table where I found my trusty shield on top of a stack of papers. Taking it up I saw that it had survived whatever ordeal I had been through. Finding the shoulder strap missing, I poked around a little, finding an appropriately sized strip of material to replace it.

_You have done well, my old friend. Nice to have you back…_

While searching for a strap I had found a vest of red body armor on a nearby rack. Looking around, I slipped into it, noting that it seemed to size itself to my body. Tapping it a few times, I declared it safe,

though I really wished that my bodysuit was still in one piece. I felt… naked with out it. It was around this time, when I stopped to see if I had missed anything in my initial investigation, when I noticed that sounds outside had changed from droning work to yells and explosions.

_Looks like a welcoming party is here… Time to go greet them._

Looking down at my ruined Buster, I glanced back towards the pistol I had seen earlier. A small, grey model, it looked capable of taking some punishment, but not all that powerful. Aiming it at the ground, I

fired it a couple times, getting a feel for the thing. Watching the blast released, I noted with wide eyes that it looked as strong as my Buster. Narrowing my eyes, I held the trigger for a few seconds. The gun glowed a pale green, as lines of energy drew into it. Letting off the trigger, the small thing released a larger blast; it was a twisted shot of energy, pale green in color, and it looked at least as powerful as the Buster I was used to.

_Well, well… This thing packs a bigger punch the it looks..._

As a explosion roared nearby, I was jerked from my contemplations. Glancing at my shield, held ready in my left arm, and my new pistol in my right, I was ready to get out there. Stepping over to the doorway,

I stopped as something felt… wrong. Looking around, I grinned as I saw

what I was looking for. Marching over to the table where I had started, I pulled the energy feeder out of my arm and scooped up my yellow scarf. Settling it around my neck, I shifted my head, making sure it was secure.

_Let's get this party started!_

Whistling slowly, I rushed outside into the unknown.

* * *

Questions, Comment, Concerns?  



	3. Future Tense

A New Daw

Chapter 3: Future Tense

"It seems my destiny is battle. My future is no different then my past..."

Slamming the head of his heavy shovel into the ground, the large Reploid looked up at the low sun, rubbing his neck. Lost in his own thoughts, he started when he heard a voice behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his supervisor yelling at him; a thin, small Reploid with a big hat and an even bigger attitude. Growling, he picked up his shovel to get back to work.

"Why should I?" he grumbled to himself before he stopped to think that over. He was easily the biggest Reploid on the worksite; as a heavy construction model built bigger then a truck, he was the one that the workers called when they needed a crane or bulldozer. There was no one else on the site with nearly the power of him, of that he was certain. Why should he work? He would just take what he needed! And now, that bossy supervisor was coming to yell at him again"

"Hey, buddy? Did you hear me? We need that rock face-!"

Spinning with speed that even surprised himself, the construction Reploid slammed his shovel directly into the stomach of the supervisor. Flying backwards a few paces, the other Reploid slammed into a wall, slumping to the ground. Looking down at the shovel gripped lightly in his hands, the large Reploid smiled, liking how that felt. Tipping his head back he laughed, his new rebellious spirit glowing warm in his breast.

"Hahaha! No one can stop me, now!"

Stepping out of the tent, the man with the yellow scarf threw up a hand to stop the blowing dust from covering his eyes. Wishing for his helmet, he searched  
around, trying to find the source of the disturbance. It was easy enough to find; a hulking construction machine was going wild, cleaving into trucks with a massive shovel and batting away anyone who tried to stop him. He could hear cries of 'Maverick!' echoing from all over the camp. Pushing through the throng fleeing from the Maverick was a bit difficult. Creatures of all sizes were running as one large mass; small ones filled the holes under the bigger ones. A look at his face was enough for most to move out of way.

Coming around a corner between two heavily mangled trucks, he was suddenly in the clear, facing the berserk machine directly. Still a little weak and unsure of the changes to his body, the man set off, shield held in a loose grip, pistol humming as it gathered power.

Catching sight of him, the massive machine laughed. "So, you think you can stop me, you little punk? You're no Hunter; I'll crush you, and then be off before they get here!"

Popping off a twisting green charged shot from behind his shield, the other man rushed to the left behind a low line of rocks. The yellow scarved man dived to the side, the massive shovel throwing his attack back in retaliation.

Pausing behind a twisted steel girder, the man mentally ran over the area, plotting out his attack angles. The battle was taking place in a hollow of sorts. The Maverick had surrounded itself with destroyed vehicles and rubble. If he could get up one those "walls" he might be able to attack from head level, hitting the Maverick directly.

Hearing the wail of the shovel coming out his way, he dived forward as the tool sliced through the mess of girders. Rolling up from his dive, shield up protectively, the man smiled as he saw the digging tool was stuck. Charging another blast from his pistol, he rushed forward, a plan coming to mind. Slapping aside a kicked rock with his shield, he launched a twisting blast of green energy at the face of the hulking Maverick. It roared in pain as the shot struck home. Angry and hurt, it tore the shovel out of the ground, swinging it at the thing that had hurt it so.

Rolling around the digging tool, dirt still clinging to it, the pistol wielder fired off a line of small shots. One sailed wide, flying off into the summer sky, but the other two traced across the Maverick's face. Taking the shots, the Maverick slashed at the annoying fighter with its shovel. As the man leapt over the tool, a giant fist shot forward, punching him into a nearby truck bed.

The man groaned as he shook his head, pulling himself from now dented truck bed. He looked up to see a shovelhead diving at him like a giant spear. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself to his feet, knowing he was not going to be able to move fast enough to get away this time. Bringing his shield up, he dived forward, low and along the ground. He felt a sudden pressure from behind his legs, shooting him forward under the attack.

Gasping in surprise, he rolled up over his shoulder and fired unsteadily at the Maverick. The pistol rounds all hit around the Maverick's face and shoulders, enough hits to cause it to growl in pain. Realizing the Maverick was stuck again, this time in the truck he had been thrown into, the smaller man charged another shot as he ran off to the side behind a pile of concrete. He fired off a blast and ducked behind his cover. The resulting howl of pain told him that his shot had hit true.

Pushing black hair from his eyes, then man with the yellow scarf checked over his feet. Though he had Dash Jets from before, they had never reacted so quickly or powerfully. He was worried that he had somehow blown them when he had activated them. Putting down his pistol, he ran his fingers over his new legs, surprised that the Dash Ports felt all right. Doing a quick diagnostic check with his main computer systems, he noted that they all checked out there, too. Amazed at the technology level in this place he was in, he quickly shook it off to think about later. He had a battle to win, first.

Picking up his pistol, he charged another blast, and then dashed out to the side as a giant boulder slammed into his hiding position. Noting the ease he was having getting used to his new Jets, he fired off his next blast. The green wave slashed across the Maverick's cheek, the melted metal giving way and tearing a large gouge out. Watching as the thing howled, he knew that he would have to end this quickly.

Dashing forward, he fired up at the livid Maverick, scoring hit after hit. He was forced to change his attack angle as the shovel rocketed out of the sky, clawing huge chunks out of the ground as it slammed down all around him. Dashing and rolling in between each thunderous strike, the pistol wielder kept up his barrage; charging medium strength shots when he could, laying about with the smaller rapid-fire ones when he had no time.

Seeing that the Maverick slowing, he charged one final destructive blast. Pausing, he took a moment to get careful aim, and then released the trigger. He cursed as nothing happened. Diving out of the way of a stomp from the other machines heavy feet, he looked over the pistol, trying to figure out what had happened to it. Seeing a thin wisp of white smoke coming from the barrel, he groaned, knowing what had happened. He had blown out the capacitor on the energy cell; unless he could get it replaced, it would be shooting no more. And that was not going to happen during this fight.

Turning back to the Maverick, he was surprised to see that it was not attacking him. The Maverick was staring down at something else in front of it. Suddenly, a silver flash of light shot out from the back of the machine's head, and it slumped to the ground on its knees. Seeing the telltale signs of an impending explosion, the man crouched low behind his shield as the Maverick's system went critical and exploded. Feeling shrapnel and waves of energy bounce off his shield, he looked up when the explosion had subsided. There was a huge smoking hole in the ground, but the Maverick was nowhere to be found.

"Not bad, kid. What's your name?"

Hearing a low, feminine voice behind him, he turned to see someone standing on a pile of nearby concrete, silhouette eclipsed by the sun.

"I..." His memory hiccupped as it struggled to come up with a response. A wisp of a memory came to mind, of a younger woman with blonde hair and green eyes looking up at him. _Where are we going today, brother?_

Shaking his head, he relaxed his stance and smiled up at the woman.

"Call me Blues."

* * *

Good call, Rift! Changed. 

Questions, Comments, Concerns?


	4. First Contact

**A New Dawn**

Chapter 4: First Contact

"Time marches on, with or without use. Rarely, though, does one experience life from two different lifetimes…"

She was a tall woman, with the light build of a dancer, all slender limbs and a quick grace. Her green eyes sparkled as she looked at him, a slightly mischievous smile framing her creamy face. Light silvery armor hung over a burnished copper bodysuit; the whole outfit looked optimized for speed. A simple silver helmet swept back into a nest of short hair that started brown, but faded to black as it met the tips. She leaned on a long white rod, which to all appearances looked to be a staff or spear of some sort. The woman was not human, at least not fully; a pair of graceful, vulpine tails swept behind her, colored the same odd brown-black as her hair.

Leaping off her perch, the woman twisted in a graceful arch as she landed behind him. She slowly made her way around him, looking him over.

"I don't recognize you. When did they assign a Hunter to this dig site?"

Blues gave her a confused look. "What?"

She stopped in front of him and folded her arms. "You fight well… Like a Hunter. What unit are you with?"

Unfamiliar with the term, Blues continued undaunted. "Unit? I am no Hunter, if that is what you mean…?"

The woman cocked her head to the side, a wisp of hair falling across one eye. "But... if you've not-"

Blues pushed through her hesitation. "Who are you, anyway?"

Shaking her head, she stood upright and saluted loosely. "Pardon my rudeness. I'm Argent Fleur, Junior Hunter in the 11th Regulars, under Commander Tiger."

_Now we are getting somewhere…_ He nodded, holding out his hand. "Call me Blues, as I already said. I must say, for a human, you are quick, Miss Argent."

She took the offered hand, shaking her head. _Humph. Normally, the tails tip people off._ "No, I am a Reploid, same as you. The 11th is a fully Reploid unit."

Blues blinked in surprise, slowly getting used to the almost constant feeling. She seemed as advanced as himself, if not more so. She looked so much like a human, albeit for her odd tails. He could not help but wonder if many more of the humans he had seen were actually these 'Reploids', and he just did not recognize them.

She waved to the surrounding area, which had recently been a battleground. "As I was saying, you fight quite well, if not a little stiffly. Having some trouble with your Hand Buster?"

Seeing her holding out her hand, Blues nodded and placed the gun into it. She looked it over carefully, checking down the barrel and over the grip. Handing it back to him, she whistled, shaking her head. "You must be incredibly brave or stupid; with the rigors you were putting that training gun under, it's no wonder the poor thing gave out."

_Training gun? This thing is as powerful as my Buster Arm…_ Shaking his head, he simply shrugged. "There was no one else here at the time, Miss Argent."

She waved him off. "By the time I showed up, you seemed to have the big guy in hand. I was curious of what you could do, so I waited until it looked like you needed help."

"You were here the whole time? I could have used help a little sooner, you know…"

She shrugged. "As I said, you pretty good. It looked like you had him in check. And please, just call me Fleur."

"…Suit yourself. Where are you headed now?"

Fleur sighed. "Well, now that the Maverick is gone, I need to speak with the Site Director to see if anything else requires my help. Then..." Trailing off, she gave him one more hard look, and then shrugged again. "Well, you can help with that. Can you lead me to the Director quarters?"

"I really do not know my away around this place. Sorry." Blues shook his head.

She nodded. "New worker, eh? Well, let's go get looking around… You ever consider a job in the Maverick Hunters?"

With Fleur chatting merrily, they set off to go look around the camp. Blues could not help but to wonder what sort of rabbit hole he had fallen into.

A few minutes later, they had managed to find the center of the dig site's residential area. It was teeming with humans and Reploids, all shaking off the shock of having a Maverick appear in their midst. They cheered a little as the two came into view; they knew who had saved them. An older human male pushed his way out of the crowd, yelling at them to all get back to work. Apparently, he had been yelling at them for a while, as the gathering quickly drifted off. He stepped up to the two of them and introduced himself.

"Hello, there. You must be the Hunter that was dispatched our way. I am Victor, Director of Site Four." He held out his hand to Fleur, who shook it firmly.

"Argent Fleur, Junior Hunter in the 11th Regulars, under Commander Neon Tiger." She gave the Director a salute. "Between Blues here and myself, we were able to take down that Maverick pretty quickly. I must say, he's a rather good fighter for a worker. You run into much trouble in this area?"

Shaking his head, Victor turned to look at Blues, confusion written all over his face. "But… you're not a worker…" Pausing, the light of understanding came to the older man's face. "You are that Reploid that was just excavated, aren't you?"

Fleur looked startled, as she looked over her companion in a new light. "What? You?"

Blues looked at the two of them and simply shrugged. "I have to admit ignorance, here. I just woke up and tried to help…"

Fleur glanced at Victor and back at Blues, then smiled. "Well, this makes my job easier"

The Director gave her a look, then sighed in slight irritation. "I suppose Cain _would_ want to see him immediately." He turned and waved them to follow him, talking back over his shoulder as her walked. "He always was rather impatient when it came to his work…"

Taking the hint, the other two followed. Blues looked over at Fleur, that lost feeling starting to come back to him again. "Fleur. What is going on?" he asked in a low voice.

"I would not worry about it, too much." She gave him a smile.

Glaring at her, Blues suddenly wished he had his visored helmet to hide his expression behind. Pausing to think over that thought, he shook his head and barreled on with his questions. He would have to save the self-evaluation for later; things were moving much too quickly for his tastes…

"Who is Cain, and why am I being taken to him?"

"Persistent, aren't you?" The female Reploid laughed a little, and then continued. "Doctor James Cain is the man who created the Reploids. A top robotic scientist, he found a, well, pre-Reploid named X in an abandoned laboratory..."

Blues frowned as she talked, the ghost of a memory drifting through his mind. The sounds of a man yelling and the smell of pulverized concrete…

"…So, now Doctor Cain is rather interested in anything that can be found in these dig sites. Obviously, this Doctor Light was incredibly skilled; maybe he knew some way to stop the Mavericks once and for all." Blues nodded along with her narration, only half paying attention.

Reaching the main tent, Victor pushed his way inside, gesturing them to follow. As they walked in, Blues stepped forward and grabbed the opening, holding it open for his companion. He waved her in.

With an indignant look, she stopped, opening her mouth to complain. Figuring this was going to happen, he glared at her. "Just go, Fleur."

Giving him hard look, she stalked inside. Looking around the camp a final time, Blues turned and ducked into the tent. _Doctor Thomas Light…? How do I know his name?

* * *

_

Thanks for the reviews, folks. Do not worry; I have plenty more to come!

A tad bit of extra credit before class is dismissed, however. Does anyone know what Dr. Cain's first name is? I could use the help, if you folks know…

Questions? Comments? Concerns?


	5. Digging Up Questions

**A New Dawn**

Chapter 5: Digging Up Questions

_Memories of the past drive us all, in an endless cycle of search..._

Blues blinked as he stepped inside the tent, his optics taking a half-moment to deal with the light changes. Not for the last time, he wished he still had his helmet…

The tent was a large, cluttered room, filled with stacks of papers, odd site artifacts, and the normal debris of a very lived-in room. It was obvious that the site Director used this tent as his main office and home. What was much more surprising was that he was able to keep track of everything inside. But, there he was, digging his was back to a little sitting area, complete with four fold-up chairs and a mostly clear table. Gesturing to the other two to sit, he smiled up at them, plopping down into his own chair and pulling a cup from the pile of things next to him.

Sitting primly in her chair, Fleur glanced at Blues, who had declined sitting. He was standing, leaning on a handy sturdy filing cabinet. Looking back at Victor, she continued on, shaking her head slightly. "So, Director, as I asked before, do you run into many Irregulars out here? Any of the other Mechaloids turn once they are dug up?"

The man shook his head, looking a little troubled by the subject. "I'm afraid that- no, not really. This is the first Maverick that we have seen out here in a long while, actually. I have no idea what caused him to go off like he did; no one said anything about him acting strangely before today."

Fleur raised an eyebrow, leaning forward a little. "Before? Did anyone mention anything today, before he went Irregular?"

"Today? No… I don't know what happened. I just heard the sounds of that truck being torn apart..." Blinking, the Director shook his head, taking a pull from his mug. "Sorry, I am afraid I really can't help much, here."

"Do you want me to call out a team to scan the other 'loids?"

The man hesitated, and then shook his head. "No, I think we should be fine, here. Thank you for the quick response, though, I do appreciate it."

Fleur gave him a warm smile. "No problem; I was bored today, anyway." Feeling the tension in the tent pop like a bubble, Blues spoke up.

"So… what's going on, now? I just woke up, remember? Am I free to go?" He had pushed off the wall, and was watching the other two.

Fleur turned towards him, a smile on her face. "I suppose you could leave, if you really wanted. I have been asked to bring you to Dr. Cain so he can have a look at you, but… I really don't want to stop you if you want to leave." She cocked her head to the side; a gesture Blues was starting to find slightly annoying. Like she was studying him...

"I suppose you don't know where you are, though, do you? You don't have to stay, but what else do you have to do?"

Blues glared at the vulpine woman. She was right, of course, even if he didn't like it. He had huge sections of his memory that had gone off line or simply corrupted, and he still didn't know where, or when, he was. He was used to being lost to the world, but he wasn't certain just where he had lost grip on the world. Clenching his fist, he noted that while his right arm seemed fine in it's hand mode, he couldn't even switch over to the gun mode, let alone fire it. Without a bearing and no weapon, he was pretty helpless, for now...

"Fine. I'll go to your Doctor."

Fleur's smile got larger. "Good, then. Looks like things are finished, here, yes?" She glanced at the Site Director. He nodded over his drink, then pointed to the side.

"If you want to leave immediately, then head to the blue colored truck. The nice ladies in there will get you set up with the mobile 'porter, You should be back to the city in no time."

Giving another quick salute, Fleur turned towards the front of the tent. Practically bounding to the door, Fleur grandly swept aside the tent flap with her staff. "After you, Mister Blues."

Giving the messy room a final, quick look, Blues sighed, and wordlessly left the tent. This was going to be a long day...

Wincing in the bright sun, Blues looked around the bustle of the camp, wondering how they were able to get on with their lives so quickly after the morning's events. It seemed... strange, somehow. Something was wrong... Deciding to go with his instincts, he spoke up, calling to the woman bounding forward in front of him. "Fleur..."

The vulpine Hunter glanced over her shoulder, slowing down to his pace once she saw his face. Stopping next to him, she continued in a low voice. "Whats up? Why the worried face, all a sudden? Cain's a little enthusiastic, but nothing to be scared of."

Blues glared at her, cutting her off. "Didn't that conversation seem strange to you? I haven't been awake long, but it almost seemed like he was hiding something."

"You know... Hmm..." Fleur nibbled her lower lip as she trailed off into thought, scanning her memories. Raising an eyebrow, she frowned. "Now that you mention it, he did seem to try to avoid me bringing in any extra eyes to this area. Maybe it's worth looking into. Though..." She shrugged, shouldering her staff. "He could just be busy and distracted by the dig."

Blues shook his head. "I don't think so. I think there is something here, and he doesn't want to talk about it. He's distracted, though, you're right about that. He's not going to check to see if we actually left or not."

"You're onto something. It's not going to hurt if we look around a little, and they certainly don't expect me back at base so soon." Her ears perked up at this, as she got more animated. "It's been forever since I've done solo work! But, wait..." She looked back at him, blowing a wisp of hair out of one eye. "When are we a 'we'? I figured you to be the cold, loner type..."

Blues narrowed his eyes, wishing, not for the last time he was beginning to think, that he had his helmet. She was right, he WOULD prefer to do this on his own, but... "I don't know my way around, yet, remember? Besides, I need a new gun..."

Fleur glanced down at his hand, where he was holding out the worn training pistol. Narrowing her eyes, she smirked a little, as an idea took hold. "Well... he didn't actually tell us to go... And I AM a Maverick Hunter, after all. And if we wandered around, asked some questions, and picked up some equipment, no one would suspect a thing. Come on!" She grabbed his outstretched hand and took off, shifting to a low jog.

'Wow...' Blues ran behind her, unsure if she even knew where they were going, and with it her Doctor Cain apparently forgotten. Hoping this wasn't going to turn into a bad idea teaming up with the strange girl, he couldn't help note that she was as quick to decision as she was to run. Barely keeping pace, he brushed off a stray memory, as he heard a ghostly cackle echo in the back of his head.

_'...Today Autovale, tomorrow the world! Gah, ha, ha~!'_

An full hour and ten minutes later, by his internal clock, Blues was happy to have finally found someplace that seemed relevant. After the first twenty minutes or so of roundabout questioning, it seemed obvious that something strange was happening around camp, though not a person seemed too interested in talking. Fleur thought it might be disinterest, or perhaps lack of information. Blues had a different opinion. Fear had a way of closing tongues, or so he had said at the half-hour mark. Fifty minutes in, he noted that they were starting to circle back on the Director's tent. It was twenty minutes later, after getting some strange looks from people they already questioned, that they ducked into a small, plain-looking, and apparently forgotten tent to discuss their next move.

It was there they found the armory.

Fleur was the first one to recognize it for what it was, as she sat on a nearby dusty box and noticed a weapon rack behind Blues. Up in a moment, twin tails swishing in excitement, she pulled of the tarp covering it with a flourish. After waiting a moment to let the dust, always thick at a work site, to settle, they examined what they had found. There was a trio of racks, with armor, weapons, and a handful of other random, but perhaps useful, gadgets.

"Well, it looks like these haven't been disturbed in a while." Blues said, pulling on a synth-shirt that he had found to replace his old, torn one. It didn't seem to be armored at all, but it did cling to him better then the vest he had been wearing, along with covering his arms.

"This is a -ooph!- dig site, after all. This dust covers everything; I hate to consider what it's doing to my hair." Fleur's voice echoed out of a huge crate she had climbed into, looking at what things might be inside. She tossed something out towards him, missing by a good body length. "Here, try this!"

Picking up the strange, rectangular device, Blues turned it over in his hands, trying to figure it out. Noting a hand grip, he held it gently and activated it, blinking as a field of pale green light sprung into effect, forming a shield of energy. Noting the shape and size, he shifted his shoulder, reassuring that his trusty old shield was still attached. Placing the field generator aside he called back. "Not for me, I think."

"Suit yourself... Seems easier to carry then your old, -hmm... whats this?- clunky thing. Who uses shields anymore, anyway...?" Trailing off, the woman's voice was replaced my the sounds of shifting equipment. Glaring a moment at her back, he frowned at the generator a moment before he slid it wordlessly into his belt pack.

Pulling a gun off the magnetized weapons rack, Blues looked over the handgun, unsure just what to look for. While he preferred his familiar Arm Buster, he was realistic enough to see that it was going to need some extensive work to repair. Luckily, his hand and fingers seemed to be working alright, but until then he was stuck with hand-held equipment. Frowning, he pulled another gun off the rack and moved on.

Wandering over to the armor rack, he scanned it quickly, much more sure of what he wanted. He had always preferred a light, armored bodysuit, giving him maximum control of his arms, which was useful when maneuvering a heavy shield and still lining up shots. Backed up with a sturdy helmet and armored leg guards, he could stand firm against most storms of fire. However, his new legs, for all their improved mobility, seemed much less armored then what he recalled preferring. It looked like, for now, at least, he would have to change up his style some.

The one he decided on was armored breastplate, dark gray in color with a reddish crystal in the chest. It was a little larger then he would like, but also looked much more protective then the light vest that he had on earlier. The only real problem was the shoulders; they were large, pointed things, perhaps to help minimize fire coming from above. The right one was fine, but the left... Sitting on a box, he rummaged out a small toolbox and set to unlatching the left shoulder plate.

Fleur came back into view, a small pack full of things under one arm, her staff missing from view. Cocking her head, she watched him work for a few minutes, then spoke up. "What are you even bothering with that for, anyway? That thing'll slow you down a lot, I'm sure. What is it with you and defense, anyway?"

"Sooner or later, one always gets backed into a corner. You're ability to survive comes down to how well you can handle being overwhelmed." Popping off the last connection, the shoulder plate finally came off, leaving a smooth, unmarked surface behind. Pausing a moment, Blues pulled the armor on, settling into it, working his shield around quickly to see if the missing shoulder piece was going to be enough clearance. It was heavier then he thought it might be, but not so bad that he couldn't compensate. Now, if he only had a helmet...

"So, there ARE a pair of thieves sneaking into the camp! Rather careless of you to get caught.." The sudden words were immediately followed by the distinct sound of a weapon's safety switching off.


	6. Extended Lines

**Chapter 6: Extended Lines**

_I am well familiar to being lost to the world. Lost is not alone, however..._

Whipping around, shield extended, Blues noted with a small smile that Fleur was left open to any sort of crossfire, with no defenses to hide behind. Noting her position, he finished his spin in a half crouch, gun raised. He was looking at a young man, who seemed suddenly surprised to see his captured fish jumping their bowl.

Fleur sprung into the middle, hands raised. "Hold it, both of you! I'm Fleur Argent, a Maverick Hunter. This is..." she indicated Blues, at a loss. "...my partner. We're here to help."

The young squinted a little in the low light, then sighed and raised his rifle. "I guess you two do look like the ones who took out the big guy..." He shrugged. "Nice to hear they're finally sending out my reports. Guess it must be big to send two Hunters..."

Blues was, again, completely lost. He was starting to get the hang of it, though, and this time it looked like Fleur was just as confused. Pushing on, he decided to run with this a little. It sounded like the lead they were looking for. "Yes, about those thefts. This seems like a peaceful camp; have there been raids?"

A look of re leaf washed over the man's face. Finally someone was going to listen to him on this... "Nothing so grand as armed raids. I've just noticed a steady stream of things going missing from this armory, and it looks like this isn't the only tent missing stuff. Nothing too major, but enough that it seems like a concentrated effort."

Fleur cocked her head to the side, thinking. "How do you know it isn't the workers or someone on the inside? Couldn't this just be normal requisitions for a camp of this size?"

"No, I don't think that's it. For one thing, there seems to be little interest in many of the things missing. The other is the scale; nearest I can tell, things are fine for a few weeks, but then when new shipments come, amounts don't add up they way they should. I've only noticed a couple months ago, but I've received some of those shipments myself; we're getting the right stuff from those." He scowled, clenching his fist. "This is the biggest area of civilization in the whole region; a tempting target for thieves, and there are bandits in the area. The shipments come with guards, and our own camp is surrounded by Mechaloid drones and turrets."

Blues frowned, processing information. "But... why didn't the guards take on that Maverick earlier, then?"

The young man shook his head. "They're not really build for that, I guess. Their job is to keep stuff out, which they do well enough, I suppose. It would take more time then we had to reprogram them. Some sites use 'loids for digging, but I guess they don't have the sense to not break stuff when they find it. But... Wait, I think I have something that might help." He rummaged in his pack for a moment, then pulled out a large, ragged square of cloth, torn from it's previous owner's clothing.

Handing the cloth square to Fleur, she took it, then looked it over carefully. It was a yellowish color, trail worn and tattered. However, the design near the center was clear; the lower half of a leering skull, blood red in color. Fleur started in surprise, as she realized the implications. "Wait... the Corsica? What are they doing this far south?" Looking up, she shook the piece of cloth at Blues. "Well, I believe the kid, now. We should investigate, before they get bolder and come by with one of their airships and take the whole camp."

Blues glanced at the young man, catching Fleur's note of urgency. "Where did you find this? When?"

The young man paled, clearly not thinking his line of curiosity would lead him to something like this. "But... uh... I, I found that by the west end of camp, halfway up one of the perimeter walls. About... a week ago. There's a old dig site to the west, but there wasn't much there but old buildings so the camp moved here..."

Fleur nodded. "That's gotta be it. That would be a perfect place to set up shop in this area, without anyone realizing anything was wrong. Thanks for the info, kid, we'll get right on this." She spun on her heel, tails flowing behind her as she dashed out the door.

Blinking, the young man that started this whole line of thought turned to Blues. "Does she... um... do you want a map?"

Chuckling, Blues waited a moment as he showed him an area map on the tent's computer. Taking a moment to scan it in into his internal memory, Blues followed the impulsive Hunter, whistling idly to himself.

Adjusting his eyes to the setting sun took moments, as long shadows began to cover the camp. He caught sight of Fleur just ahead, her silvery armor a liquid copper in the fading light, matching her bodysuit. She waved at him once, and then disappeared, heading towards the western wall. He followed at a slower pace, musing to himself. A memory crossed his mind, infuriatingly familiar but utterly foreign at the same time. A young man, much like the kind in the tent, but with brown hair and clear blue eyes. _"How do I get around this mess of an area to get when I need to, bro? I beat you this round, fair an square, help me out a little, here..."_

Pausing a moment, he tried to piece that memory with another, and maybe figure out who the person was. He looked similar to the blonde haired girl he remembered earlier, but... Sighing, he let it go as his fractured mind refused to access his locked thoughts. Maybe later...

Coming upon the wall in question, Blues scanned it briefly, noting it was surprisingly high. About twelve feet, fully double the height of either of himself, made of a sturdy looking metal. It was covered in small openings, allowing wind though and opening sightliness, but far to small for a man-sized creature to get through. Fleur was at the top, talking with a guard, gesturing animatedly. Pausing at the bottom of a ladder to the top of the wall, Blues called up to the vulpine woman. "Find out anything?"

Sighing, Fleur hopped off the top of the wall, twisting in a tight curl to land facing him. She shook her head, holding up the cloth. "The guard didn't see anything, though he did confirm the ruins are that way." She gestured over her shoulder, obviously annoyed. "Whats the point of guards if they don't see anything? Don't answer that. He did offer to let us out, though."

Nodding, Blues gestured forward, indicating her to lead the way. Following her out the arch the outer doors made in the wall, he noticed that she seemed to be missing her staff, all of a sudden. Now that he was thinking of it, she seemed to be able to make it appear at will, then make it disappear with just as much ease. Scanning over her back, he shrugged, unable to find the thing. Maybe in her pack...?

Heading out from the camp, the two of them hiked for a several hours, with Blues marking off their progress internally on his map. Fleur seemed to enjoy taking the lead, showing off her superior speed and agility, trekking off to scout ahead for a bit before bounding back to mention some of what she had seen. They were crossing a large, open patch of grassland, with rolling hills and waist high grasses of a tough, scratchy variety. From time to time, Blues would notice Fleur in the distance, on a large outcrop of rock or in one of the periodic islands of twisted, wiry trees, scanning ahead. He was on his way down one of the rolling hills, easily half again the size of the wall around the dig site, when he caught sight of the vulpine woman, her silvery armor glittering in the moonlight. She was heading back towards him, using the low, bounding leaps that she seemed to enjoy. He noted that she cleared her side of the hill in about four jumps, gapping some seven or eight feet at a time.

Twisting a little on her last hop, she landed in front of him, a smile on her face, ears pulled back against the wind of rapid transit. He noted with some surprise that seemed to be breathing a little heavier then usual. "Well, guess what I found?"

Raising an eyebrow, he quickly checked his map. Unless she had been moving at a phenomenal pace, she couldn't have found the old dig site. That was, by his estimates, still half a day away. And despite her comments earlier about the speed of his light jog, they were making good time. So, he was lost at her meaning. Again. He was beginning to hate it here... "I don't know. Not the old site, I'm guessing?"

She shook her head, then spun around, flourishing sometime that settled on her shoulders. Holding her arms out, she showed off the yellow cloak, complete with red skull in the center. "Ta-da! I found a few of the bandits in a small camp a few hills down. It took some sneaking, but I, the crafty Argent the Silver Flash, was able to get in and out with this." She turned, posing a little, but with a more serious look on her face. "It looked like they were getting ready to hit the main camp again. I think we should take them out."

Frowning, Blues considered their options. They could go in, take them out, and help the main camp, like she suggested. Or, they could simply go around, avoid the confrontation, and thus the risk that the bandits would send a distress call, alerting their comrades at the old dig site. A tricky situation either way. Justice was never his thing, he recalled, and preferred to leave that to others. However, it might make more problems later if they were dealing with the main site and these came back to reinforce the others. "Ok, fine. We can take them out, as long as we are quick about it."

She scoffed at that. Flipping her short hair back, she dashed forward, her new cape billowing out behind her, tails streaming underneath. Calling back over her shoulder, she waved him on. "Now speed, that's MY game! Just try to keep up, old timer!"

Creeping up on the small camp, the plan was simple. There were only a handful of bandits, and it looked like only one radio. Fleur was to get the communicator, while Blues kept the others busy. Blues waited while Fleur crept around to the other side of the small campsite, checking over his weapons. He wasn't sure what each were fully capable of, yet, though he did test some practice shots on the hike here. One was similar to the gun he had been using earlier; a combat grade Hand Buster, capable of single fire and powerful charged shots. The other was a cycler design; able to create withering barrages of smaller shots, but dense in number and speed. It also had a semi-auto mode, firing shot bursts of three or four shots, for more precise work, though he doubted that mode would be of much use in this next fight. He had also found that they both had a slight magnetism to them, allowing them to stick to the inside of his shield when not in use.

Suddenly, a small animal yipped in the distance, echoing over the quiet glade the camp was in. Head shooting up, Blues recognized the signal Fleur had given him earlier. Time to get to work.

Standing heavily from the grass, he pulled the cycler, shield up and at the ready. Rushing forward, he watched out the eye slit in the middle of the oval device, watching the Reploids in the camp reacting to his sudden presence in their midst. The first one he met from behind, as the bulky, hunched over shape came to it's feet. Letting loose with a hail of fire, Blues felt the gun shudder in his grasp, as it's triple barrels quickly overwhelmed the heavyset target.

The next one rushed out from the side suddenly, a large, wicked ax in his hand, lit along one blade. Blues wasn't amused; igniting his Dash Jets, he boosted forward, barely keeping his balance from the still unfamiliar upgrades. He was able to still slide his shield up and under the opponent's weapon, flinging it, and the arm holding it, clear out of the way. Releasing a salvo of energy into the Reploid at point blank, the sparking body collapsed. Seeing movement behind the falling body, he sprayed the area, noting movement as something leapt behind a line of boxes.

Spotting something glinting in the fire light above the camp, he blinked in surprise as a small metallic orb dropped down in front of him, bouncing off the hard ground. Eyes wide in sudden panic, he lost track of the rest of the battlefield for a moment as he dove forward towards the device. Slipping his shield up and underneath, he flipped the grenade up into the air a moment early, ducking a little as it exploded in the air.

Wincing as he felt a shard of shrapnel sting across his cheek, he dropped back a step, shield up as he cleared his head. Hearing the crack of a energy bolt, he looked to the left, rolling back as a round shot past his chest. Coming up, be whipped up his shield in time to take a couple more shots to it, before returning in kind with a couple salvos of his own. That got one of the two rushing him; the gunner dropped, but it was enough time for his friend with the large hooked blade to reach him.

Too close to get away without exposing himself, Blues growled in annoyance as he caught a heavy blow to his new right shoulder guard. The attacker quickly tried to capitalize on the blow, perhaps acting a little too hastily. Noticing the weight of the blade and the angle of the next attack, Blues slapped the cycler into it's spot on the inside of the shield, and spun, shield sliding along it's strap onto his back. Taking the heavy blow across his now protected rear, he finished the spin, revealing the Hand Blaster, fully charged and jammed into the armpit of the arm holding the blade. The other Reploid looked surprised as the trigger released, instantly vaporising half of his chest, dropping him.

Taking a moment to survey the area, he noted that he was in a small clearing, at about the middle of the small camp. A fire was to his left, and a line of boxes to his right, with a large cargo truck behind those. There were tents opposite him, where he could see Fleur highlighted in bright flashes from her staff, as she tore her targets apart. Turning from Fleur, he spotted the object behind the boxes moving; it looked like it was waving to something. But the only thing behind it was the truck...

Suddenly realizing the trap he had walked into, Blues ducked low, bringing his shield up as a barrage of neon yellow gunfire blew through the canvas covering the side of the cargo truck. Feeling his protection shudder as the storm of fire hit him, he risked a quick glance through the view port to confirm his thoughts. There was a large gun set up in the back of the truck, propped up on a box. He could see the person firing it, lit up from the bursts of light exiting his weapon. Grinding his shield into the dirt, Blues quickly considered his options.

Their weren't many. While he could get away, he had to keep drawing the big gun's fire for Fleur, who he wasn't sure would be able to dodge this kind of fire, even with her enhanced speed. And he was pinned down behind his shield, it being the only thing keeping that fire from quickly overwhelming him. He had to something, though, as his arm was starting to go numb from bracing against the withering stream of fire. Glancing though the view port again, he confirmed his suspicions; he gunner's allies were moving in to flank him. There were two of them, one from each side...

Digging the bottom of his shield into the ground, Blues knew he had to work fast. Quickly grabbing the hooked blade from the destroyed Reploid next to him, he propped it against the back of the shield, digging the sharpened end into the ground next to him, holding it up. Flipping the cycler to his numb left arm, he grabbed the Hand Blaster with his other, quickly bringing it to a full charge. He took a deep breath, then moved.

Activating his Dash Jets, he rocketed low across the ground, away from his protection, into the open air. It would only take a moment for the gunner to realize he wasn't hiding anymore, and another to track his gun to it's new position. And if Blues didn't take out the others, they would jump on him while he was distracted with the fixed gun. He had three targets, two guns, and a single moment to work with.

This was gonna get tricky...


End file.
